HOUSTON (AP) " Houston general manager Jeff Luhnow first saw Yulieski Gurriel play a decade ago in a tournament in Amsterdam. "To me, he was the Cuban star that everybody was hoping would become available to a major league team," Luhnow said. Though there's no official timetable for his major league debut, Luhnow is confident that it will happen this season. A beaming Gurriel was introduced Saturday in Houston, seated next to Luhnow behind a table draped with the American and Cuban flags. He imagined him playing in the major leagues and made that dream a reality Saturday when he signed the Cuban free agent to a $47.5 million, five-year deal with the Astros.

Source: New Zealand Herald July 16, 2016 17:26 UTC